Former cheerleader whose baby was found buried found not guilty of murder

A former high school cheerleader who buried her baby’s body in her backyard was found not guilty of murder.

Brooke Skylar Richardson, 20, broke down in tears as a judge acquitted her of aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child endangerment on Thursday in Ohio.

As Richardson sobbed, so did her parents. Her mother was heard telling her ‘We love you so much. We love you baby.’

However, the Warren County jury did find Richardson guilty of corpse abuse, which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison.

Prosecutors accused Richardson of killing the newborn before burying its body in her backyard in May 2017 to maintain her ‘perfect life’ as she was set to begin classes at the University of Cincinnati.

Richardson’s lawyers argued that the baby, which she named ‘Annabelle,’ was stillborn. They said Richardson was sad and scared, which is why she reportedly buried it.

The infant’s body was found about two months after Richardson gave birth in her backyard in Carslisle, Ohio.

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Prosecutors said Richardson had searched ‘how to get rid of a baby’ on the internet. They also brought in a forensic pathologist who testified that the infant died of ‘homicidal violence.’

A jury saw footage from a police interview in which Richardson said the baby might have moved and made noises, but Richarson’s defense said that their client had been manipulated into making false statements during police interrogations.

A psychologist, Stuart Bassman, described Richardson as a vulnerable, immature person who had dependent personality disorder, which made her want to please authority figures – so much so that she would make incriminating statements that were not true.

Richardson is set to be sentenced for abuse of a corpse on Friday. Because she is a first offender, it is possible that she may just get probation.